60 Best Books for 1st Graders

Do You Like My Bike? (Hello, Hedgehog!) by Norm Feuti
FRIENDSHIP
Not only is this written in comic panels, but the dialogue is in bubbles in colors unique to the character, making this a supportive first graphic novel experience. Hedgehog can’t wait to show his friend Harry his new bike. Darling stories of friendship and bike riding. One of our favorites!

Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Mark Teague
REALISTIC
Poppleton gets tired of city life and moves to a small house with a garden in a small town. He befriends his kind neighbor Cherry Sue, goes to the library to read adventure stories, and helps his friend when he’s sick.

A Friend for Dragon by Dav Pilkey
FRIENDSHIP
This feels a bit more challenging than the other Acorn books. It’s a sweet story about making a new friend.

Sparkly New Friends (Unicorn and Yeti) by Heather Ayris Burnell, illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla
MAGICAL CREATURE
Unicorn helps Yeti be grateful and confident about who he is and where he lives. Then Yeti helps Unicorn try new things like a snowball fight. Short stories of friendship between two mythical creatures, what could be better!?

Mister Shivers Shadow in the Woods and Other Scary Stories (An Acorn Book) by Max Brallier
SCARY
Yes, some kids like scary stories. (I’m surprised because I don’t.) But if you know a child who does, this book with easy-to-read text and short, illustrated stories will become a much-loved favorite.

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Marc Simont
MYSTERY
DRA 18
Guided Reading K
Nate introduces readers to how to be a detective and find things— even if it’s for small cases such as a friend’s lost picture. Don’t miss the learning activities located at the end of the book. (Also on: Wholesome Easy Chapter Books for Boys)

Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot The Voodoo Vultures from Venus by Dav Pilkey, illustrated by Dan Santat
SCI-FI
DRA 20
Guided Reading L
Kudos to Dav Pilkey and Dan Santat for creating such an action-packed, engaging series for young readers with fantastic full-color illustrations. I predict that once your kid reads this first book, they’ll want all the books in this beginning chapter book series.

Meet Mo and Jo: The Boulder Brothers by Sarah Lynn, illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby
HUMOR
DRA 16
Guided Reading I
If your first-grade child likes humerous stories, they’ll love these silly stories about two adventurous cave boys. Readers will find a combination of comic bubble dialogue and narrative text. For example, “The skunk liked the stink. Can MO and Jo run faster than the skunk?” is the narrative text while the dialogue bubbles on the same page are “Uh-oh! He mad” and “Run, Mo!” Goofy, but it works.

Narwhal Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton (series)
HUMOR/FRIENDSHIP
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Narwhal is excited to meet Jellyfish, his new imaginary friend who is imagining Narwhal at the same time. You’ll love their non-imaginary adventures including forming a pod, having parties, eating waffles, and imagining. This is a feel-good friendship adventure told in graphic (cartoon) format that 6-year-olds love!

Pinch and Dash and the Terrible Couch by Michael J. Daley
FRIENDSHIP
Perfect for very beginning readers who don’t want to read nonsensical phonics books. Pinch and Dash has charming characters, a silly problem, and a perfect ending.

The Quiet Boat Ride and Other Stories (Fox + Chick) by Sergio Ruzzier
ADVENTURE / FRIENDSHIP
There’s such a sweetness in the playful adventures of two friends who, like Frog and Toad, have distinct personalities yet always support each other. That combined with the delectable comic panel illustrations plus easy text in dialogue bubbles make this book a new favorite.

See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
HUMOR
Kids who like silly stories will want to read this story repeatedly! Read the story that the Cat narrator tells, then read Dog’s arguments disagreeing with Cat’s story. The silliness, repetition of words, and short text on each page makes this an excellent 1st grade book.

The Infamous Ratsos by Kara Lareau, illustrated by Matt Myers
HUMOR
DRA 20
Guided Reading L
I loved this book! Louie and Ralphie Ratso keep trying to do mean, tough-guy things but every time it ends up helping someone. Ultimately, both boys and their dad decide to go with kindness but before they do, their experiences are very funny.

Doggo & Pupper by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charlie Alder
REALISTIC
Readers will adore this darling, heartwarming friendship story with repetition, minimal text, and illustrations that narrate much of the story. Doggo’s life is the same old thing –that is, until Pupper comes along. At first, Doggo is annoyed by Pupper’s energetic antics but changes his mind when Pupper returns from obedience school.

Kitty and Dragon by Meika Hashimoto, illustrated by Gillian Reid
FANTASY / MAGICAL CREATURES
In three sweet friendship stories, meet Kitty and her new friend, Dragon who live together in a cave. The first story is about Kitty finding the cave and her new friend. Buy the book and or read the darling stories on the popular Epic website.

King and Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers
MYSTERY
King is Kayla’s beloved dog. Only he’s not just her best friend, but in this story, he also helps her find her missing lost tooth. This chapter book series for 1st graders is about a girl who solves mysteries.

Happy Paws: Layla and the Bots by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama
STEM
Layla wants to help her amusement park owner friend keep the park open. She investigates the problem then figures out a solution…people want to bring their dogs. She brainstorms ideas and invents new rides that help solve the problem. An entertaining, STEM-focused story.

Missy’s Super Duper Royal Deluxe Picture Day  by Susan Nees
REALISTIC
DRA 20
Guided Reading L
This is a great 1st grade book for children just beginning to read chapter books with bright and friendly illustrations to match the fun antics of Missy. (1 – 4 sentences per page.)

Bo’s Magical New Friend (Unicorn Diaries) by Rebecca Elliott
FANTASY
I’m giddy about this magical, sweet new chapter book series written in diary format. Bo (short for Rainbow) shares about his life in Sparklegrove Forest, where he lives along with other magical creatures. The plot is about a new friend, disappointments, helping others, and figuring out what’s really important in life — friendship!

All Paws on Deck (Haggis and Tank Unleashed #1) by Jessica Young (series)
ADVENTURE
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
In a word: HILARIOUS! These two dog friends with opposite personalities sail on a fun and silly pirate adventure. Try these books for a 1st grader to read; they will fall in love with Tank and Haggis. (2-4 sentences per page and lots of colorful illustrations.)

Kung Pow Chicken Let’s Get Cracking! by Cyndi Marko
ADVENTURE
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Open this early chapter book for 1st graders, and you’ll think you’re reading a comic or picture book because it’s that colorful and full of speech bubbles. Gordon Blue, an ordinary second-grade chicken accidentally develops superpowers in his uncle’s laboratory. When chickens start losing their feathers, it’s up to Kung Pow Chicken, and his little brother, Egg Drop, to solve this catastrophe.

Press Start! Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! by Thomas Flintham
ADVENTURE
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Gamers will love these easy-to-read meta adventures about a boy playing a video game where evil King Viking and his robot army are trying to ruin everyone’s fun. Super Rabbit Boy, the game’s hero, must level up inside the game to save the town. Colorful cartoons show the pixelated game paired with simple text for new readers.

Catnapped! Puppy Pirates by Erin Soderbergh
ADVENTURE
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Calling all dog lovers! Read about the most awesome pirate puppies who due to an unfortunate prank one pulled, are now prisoners on the pirate kitten’s ship –with no escape. This is a charming and funny rollicking adventure and #3 in the new Puppy Pirate series.

The Magic Mirror (Once Upon a Fairy Tale) by Anna Staniszewski, illustrated by Macky Pamintuan
FANTASY
DRA 28-30
Guided Reading N
When Kara learns the ice princess is in trouble, she and her best friend Zed travel to the ice palace to help fix a magic mirror. They also want to help the argumentative sisters get along and share their beloved pet monkey between them. Will the friends be able to solve both problems?

The Last Firehawk: The Ember Stone by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Jeremy Norton
FANTASY
Tag is an owl in training to become an Owl of Valor. One day while playing tag with his squirrel friend, Skyla, Tag finds a golden egg that hatches into the last-ever Firehawk. Tag and friends must keep the Firehawk, Blaze, safe. Then they’ll quest to find the magical stone that may save their land from the Vulture and his army of tiger bats. This easy chapter book for 1st graders introduces kids to epic fantasy stories about good vs. evil.

Pug Blasts Off (Diary of a Pug) by Kyla May
FRIENDSHIP
DRA 28, Guided Reading N
Narrated in diary format by a lovable pug named Bub with plenty of illustrations and large-sized text, we learn that Bub is afraid of water but loves to craft just like his person, Bella. In fact, he’s going to help her invent the best craft project ever. Unfortunately, disaster strikes when a mischievous squirrel interferes. Bub must face his biggest fears in order to fix things for Bella. Luckily, he’s a brilliant problem solver!

Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqui, illustrated by Hatem Aly
REALISTIC
Yasmin is an exuberant girl interested in everything from exploring to building to fashion. This book tells four short stories from Yasmin’s life, all in chapters with lively, full-color illustrations. Each story shows Yasmin as a creative problem solver even when things get hard. Her Pakistani American culture is embedded throughout the story.

The Fabled Stables Willa the Wisp by Jonathan Auxier, illustrated by Olga Demidova
FANTASY / MAGICAL CREATURES
Auggie, the only human, lives on an island of mythical creatures but he’s lonely. When a new stall magically appears, Auggie enters and meets a Wisp hunted by ruthless magical poachers. It’s a darling start to a new chapter book series perfect for fantasy-loving readers.

Bink & Gollie Best Friends Forever by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
ADVENTURE/FRIENDSHIP
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
The second book of funny Bink and Gollie (mis)adventures in friendship and life filled wonderful color illustrations. Get the first book here. This popular series is a favorite with many girls.

Fenway and the Bone Thieves by Victoria J. Coe, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
REALISTIC 
Written from Fenway’s hilarious doggie point of view, readers will delight in Fenway’s complete bone obsession and his determination to keep it away from the squirrels. His paranoia leads to him burying the bone so NO one can find it, including him. His solution? Dig a million holes to find it. Read the next book, Fenway and the Frisbee Trick about Fenway learning a frisbee trick in his own, unique way.

Nugget and Hot Dog by Jason Tharp
HUMOR
Perfect for readers who like silliness, puns, and good conquering evil, this is the story of two friends, Dog and Nugget, who live in Gastropolis and start a kindness club to fight evil like the dastardly Dijon Mustard. 

Arnold and Louise The Great Lousweezie by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by Chris Chatterton
FRIENDSHIP
I like the simple text and illustrations in this easy chapter book series. Even better is the message of friendship. Arnold isn’t too sure that Louise can predict the future but he is kind enough to find a way to make sure Louise knows she’s valued.

Our Principal is a Scaredy-Cat by Stephanie Calmenson, illustrated by Aaron Blecha
SCARY
Get ready for a silly story with an edge of scary! The principal, Mr. Bundt, finds a hat on the way to school. He never realizes (*but readers do) that the hat belongs to someone — and that someone wants it back. Scared at the voice who demands the hat’s return, he asks the magician for help. Luckily, the (skeleton) owner gets his hat back and stops haunting Mr. Bundt. Goofy and fun.

Sofia Martinez My Vida Loca by Jacquline Jules (series)
REALISTIC
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Perfecto! My Vida Loca is a warm-hearted beginning chapter book about the adventures of a spunky girl named Sofia — from her singing (that annoys everyone except abuela) to a cooking mishap of arroz con leche that her familia helps her fix. I love the bright pink text that indicates the Spanish words (maybe 1 or 2 a page). Illustrations are fun, capturing the emotions and action perfectamente.

Pug Pals Two’s a Crowd by Flora Ahn
FUNNY
DRA 20 – 24
Guided Reading M
Sunny’s whole life is turned upside down when her owner brings home a new sister, Rosy. It’s hard to share her owner’s time, and especially hard to share her toys. Adorable illustrations show these personality-filled pugs who eventually develop a solid sister bond while looking for Sunny’s lost Mr. Bunny toy.

Searching for Stinkodon by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Erwin Madrid
REALISTIC
Judy’s brother Stink will not stop digging up their backyard until he finds dinosaur bones. Eventually, Judy finds hides a bone for him to find. But in a surprising twist, Stink finds something else — is it a real bone from a sabertooth tiger? You’ll love the sweet relationship between these siblings!

Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Erwin Madrid
REALISTIC
410L
DRA 24
Guided Reading M
Jessica Finch is a delightful early chapter book with exceptionally pleasing and colorful illustrations. Jessica wants nothing more than a pig for a pet. For her birthday. When a misunderstanding happens with her best friend, Judy Moody, she learns a valuable lesson about not making assumptions and calling people names. This is one of my top picks for an early chapter book, I loved it! BOXED SET

Dragons of Ember City: Happy Spark Day by Shane Richardson and Sarah Marino
FANTASY
This is a sweet story of dragon friends with appealing, full-color illustrations that pop off the page! Three young dragon friends feel excited to get their magical spark at Spark Day. Afterward, there’s a big celebration, but two of the dragons get carried away with their fun and break the special disco ball. Three of them work together to fix it using all their Sparks, and their mayor predicts they’ll do great things with their magical powers.

Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
SUPERHERO
Kittie’s mom is a superhero with cat powers, but Kitty isn’t ready to do what her mom does. However, when her mom is gone, a cat named Figaro comes to her that needs help. Kitty wants to help so she decides to be brave. Wearing her cat costume, she travels through the night to help her new cat friends– and discovers she can do more than she thought possible.

Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! by Kara West, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
FANTASY
When Mia gets accepted into the Superhero training program, she learns that she is SUPER. She even learns that her parents are, also. After school at her new superhero training, she has a disastrous first day and learns that it takes work to become a superhero. Black and white illustrations, bigger print, and an exciting story make this a winning series for growing readers.

Scaredy Monster by Meika Hashimoto, illustrated by Steve Lambe
FRIENDSHIP
Read about a lovable monster with a typical kid life. The stories are about losing a tooth, riding a bike, and going to a slumber party. I particularly love the sweet relationship he has with his mom. Sure to be a new kid-favorite beginning chapter book.

Hero Dog! by Hilde Lysiak and Matthew Lysiak, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
MYSTERY
DRA 28
Guided Reading O
A writer named Hilde and her sister Izzy help their neighbors find out who is stealing baked goods from people’s homes. Hilde hopes she can solve this case and write about it for the Orange Street News. The sisters observe carefully. Finally, they put together the clues with the help of a dog with a good nose and crack the case.

Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive! by Jack Chabert, illustrated by Sam Ricks
CREEPY
DRA 34
Guided Reading O
Sam isn’t thrilled about becoming a hall monitor. Especially when he discovers that the school is ALIVE and trying to harm him and the other students. Sam has quite a wild adventure trying to save the students from the school. I think kids who like sort of scary things (it’s not too bad) will enjoy this book. Box set of 6 books here.

Geeger the Robot Goes to School by Jarret Lerner
SCI-FI
Geeger the robot eats everything. When he starts attending school, this is a problem and he makes all sorts of mistakes. Fortunately, his kind teachers help him learn what to eat and when to eat– which helps him make new friends. Cute and silly. Sure to be a new favorite book for 1st graders.

Our Principal is a Frog by Stephanie Calmenson, illustration Aaron Blecha
HUMOR
DRA 28-30
Guided Reading N
I love this SHORT, engaging 1st grade book about a great school principal who is accidentally turned into a frog by a bumbling magician. But, this is one dedicated leader. He finds a way to keep running the school — even as an amphibian.